The Domains of Curriculum Studies

Curriculum studies looks like one field but works as eight. Each one is a separate line of work with its own questions, and together they cover everything from the ideas behind a curriculum to the research that checks whether it worked. Knowing the eight as a set makes the rest of this guide easier to place: nearly every later topic lives inside one of them.

The eight domains

The eight domains of curriculum studies are listed below. Theory comes first, because it sits behind all the others, and each domain has its own article in this chapter.

1. Theory clarifies the meaning of curriculum and splits into prescriptive and descriptive kinds.
2. History studies past curricular thought and practice to sharpen present decisions.
3. Development is the work of deciding what to teach and weighing all that goes into it.
4. Design arranges the curriculum’s components into a working plan.
5. Implementation puts the plan into the classroom.
6. Evaluation judges the worth of a curriculum and its results.
7. Change plans and manages revision, innovation, and renewal.
8. Inquiry investigates the whole field through experimentation and research.

Flashcard

Name the eight domains of curriculum studies.

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Answer

Theory, history, development, design, implementation, evaluation, change, and inquiry

Each is a separate line of work with its own questions. Theory comes first because it sits behind all the others.